Dominic Calvert-Lewin is in his first England squad for the upcoming internationals, so will the Everton frontman benefit from his new experience?
There will be mixed feelings among many Everton fans about the 23-year-old striker being involved with the national team.
On one hand it’s a tribute to his and the team’s excellent start of the season, but at the same time Blues fans will want to be sure Calvert-Lewin doesn’t come back from international duty, hurt.
Should the new England man get injured, that would obviously be a huge potential blow to the Toffees hopes for this campaign as he has become integral to the side’s way of playing and new-found success on the pitch.
It’s quite a transformation for a player who even twelve months ago was far from sure of his place in the team or indeed perhaps his future at the club. His improvement is such that it’s hard to imagine how the team would do without him now.
That’s especially true because Everton don’t really have another centre-forward they could bring in to cover for him. Cenk Tosun isn’t a patch on the England international and Ellis Simms is very young, raw and untested in the Premier League.
Hopefully the club will address that in the next few weeks as the domestic transfer window remains open.
Even if the Blues do get another striker in, he would be hard-pressed to replace the goals and crucial all-round play of the Toffees number nine at the moment.
Yorkshire-born Calvert-Lewin has combined the natural athletic talent he always possessed and that Everton Under-23’s coach David Unsworth identified from an early age, with a new level of maturity, football intelligence and composure in front of goal.
The former Sheffield United youth player has made huge strides particularly over the past year or so and especially since Carlo Ancelotti became Blues boss. On current form there isn’t another English striker who deserves a national team call-up more than Calvert-Lewin.
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He’s gone from a player who seemed to lack self-confidence and assurance and one who was unsure of his place in the team, to one of the most dangerous and effective front men in Europe.
Obviously Ancelotti’s influence and the radically improved team he is playing in, is crucial to Calvert-Lewin’s current and future development, but perhaps his new international experiences can help develop his game too.
He’s going to be working with some outstanding forwards in Tottenham’s Harry Kane, or Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling and so he’ll be able to watch, listen and learn from them.
It seems likely Calvert-Lewin might well start for England tomorrow evening. Let’s just hope that the only things he comes back at the end of the internationals with are more tips and hints that will help him become an even better striker and not a injury!